USDA Sets Cherry Marketing Order Vote

WASHINGTON - Jan 13/05 - SNS -- The USDA will hold a referendum between March 1 and 21 on proposed amendments to the marketing order for sweet cherries grown in Washington State.

The proposed amendments are based on the hearing record and evidence presented at a public hearing held in Yakima, Wash., in November 2003. The proposed amendments, submitted by the Washington Cherry Marketing Committee include:

* adding the authority for promotion, including paid advertising and production research projects;

* adding the authority to recommend additional rates of assessment for individual varieties of cherries;

* adding the authority for the committee to accept voluntary contributions for production and marketing research and promotion, including paid advertising; and

* adding a public member and alternate public member to the committee.

USDA also recommends establishing tenure limitations for committee members and requiring that continuance referenda be conducted periodically to determine industry support for the order.

USDA will mail ballot material to all known sweet cherry growers in Washington. To be eligible to vote, a grower must have produced sweet cherries within the production area during the representative period of April 1, 2004 through Feb. 28, 2005.

USDA will conduct the referendum according to federal eligibility rules. Under these rules, any sweet cherry grower wishing to vote may request a ballot from: USDA Northwest Marketing Field Office, AMS Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Marketing Order Administration Branch, 1220 S.W. Third Avenue, Room 369, Portland, OR 97204; telephone (503) 326-2724.

The proposed amendments would become effective only if approved either by two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum, or by those representing at least two-thirds of the sweet cherries grown by those voting in the referendum.